100 Arms, 100 Years
by Sukiya62
Summary: Kagome has been trained alongside Kikyō to provide protection over the Sacred Jewel; a daunting task that grows more difficult as the years crawl by and the lines drawn on the heart between duty and desire begin to blur and fade. {KouKag} Slow Burn, Eventual Smut
1. Chapter 1

Okay, look. I know I've got a lot of stuff already up, and by that I mean 3 works, but hey.. look.. _listen..._ y'all haven't seen my WIPs folder xD

I hope y'all enjoy. I have no idea when I'll be updating this. I have some ideas but.. yeah, lol

* * *

Kagome sat at the table, mixing herbs into a small ceramic bowl and then slowly grinding them up with a wooden pestle. The crunching and grinding of leaves and berries calmed her in an odd way, it left her mind open to drift and wander. And wander it did. It drifted off to several odds and ends, mainly tasks she had to complete for the day. Finish making this medicine for a sick child, pray at the shrine, attend an expecting mother, make a pot of healing ointment for Inuyasha–

Her mind stuttered and her movements stilled as the hanyou soon invaded and took over her train of thought.

_Inuyasha..._

Her shoulders slumped and she looked down at the ceramic bowl in front of her, but she wasn't _seeing_ it. Instead, her eyes were glazed over, her mind vacating and getting wrapped up and tangled in the hanyou. To this day she remembered, in vivid, _excruciating detail,_ the day she met him. She hadn't been the same since.

It was about three years ago, probably nearing four now.. She had been watching over the Sacred Jewel for Kikyō, as she had been called away to a nearby village to help with a supposed youkai possession. She had been attending to the small shrine the jewel resided in, weeding the small garden that rested outside and sweeping the brick pathway, when she heard screams in the distance. She remembered dropping her broom and reaching for her bow and grabbing an arrow from her quiver, sensing approaching danger. The aura of youki wasn't strong, but it wasn't weak either, but it seemed... _off_ somehow.

Suddenly, there was a break in the trees and in the blink of an eye, she was face to face with a youkai – no, a hanyou. She brought up her bow, holding the arrow at her side as she pushed him back with a blast of reiki, aided by her bow carved out of cherry birch wood by her own hand, which acted as a conductor of sorts. He cried out in pain and as soon as he was pushed away, she had her arrow knocked and drawn before he had even hit the ground. She held her stance and waited for him to stand.

"State your purpose, hanyou."

She watched as his eyes narrowed, a look of confusion on his face. But as quickly as it had come, it was gone, replaced with indifference. "Keh, what does it matter to you, _miko_?" he sneered.

"Remember, hanyou, all it will take is one arrow."

"Is that a threat?"

"It's a promise."

She watched as his eyebrows shot up into his hairline and she had to bite back a smirk. He, however, didn't seem to think the same. A smirk quickly graced his features, flashing a fang at her in the process. She felt her heart stutter. She stomped this odd, new feeling down and narrowed her eyes, her brows furrowing as a result.

"State your purpose."

"Isn't it obvious? I'm here for the jewel. I thought the miko protecting it was gone, but I guess I was wrong."

"Well, we can't allow it to fall into the wrong hands, can we?"

"And who says mine are wrong?"

"Are you pure of heart? Will you use the jewel for good?"

His jaw set, and this time she couldn't hold back her triumphant smirk. This seemed to only heighten his anger. He took a step forward, but she was quick to draw her bow tighter, slowly letting her reiki trickle into the arrow. A snarl ripped out of the hanyou's throat and soon, they could both hear the sounds of angry villagers approaching.

"I'll be back, just you wait."

"One arrow."

There was a small pause, and as she gauged his reaction, she took notice of his golden eyes. She couldn't help but be entranced by them; the way they shone like honey in the sunlight was hypnotizing.

"Keh."

She was snapped out of her trance and with a blink, he was gone. She was left there, alone, confused, and trying to pinpoint what these strange new feelings welling within her chest were.

Kagome continued to see the hanyou several days after, sometimes even multiple times in a day. She soon grew less wary of him, opting to tease him instead. She could tell he wasn't going to take the jewel while someone was guarding it, he wasn't stupid, so they had fun. She had even managed to get his name out of him: _Inuyasha_. Kagome was absolutely _enchanted_ with him. Soon, they were spending time together casually; he would drop by when she was out in the fields picking herbs, pop up near her hut and watch her brew remedies. It was nice.

Until Kikyō returned.

The miko returned late at night, almost two weeks later. She had looked exhausted when she entered the hut, and Kagome set about making her something to help her with the fatigue. As she moved around the small hut, she babbled on about how things were going, catching her friend and fellow miko up on all she had missed. As she sat down and started to grind the herbs, a grin spread across her face as she began to speak about Inuyasha.

The joy she felt, however, was short-lived. As soon as she brought up the hanyou's name, Kikyō's whole demeanor changed. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, the dark, black depths of her eyes turning to ice as her lips thinned into a straight line and her shoulders tensed. The changes were subtle, subtle enough that anyone who didn't know Kikyo wouldn't have ever been able to spot them. But Kagome had spent the better part of four years with her now, so she took note immediately. She faltered slightly, stuttering for a moment before she carried on, ending the conversation as quickly as possible.

She hurriedly finished the mixture and handed it to Kikyō, who took it wordlessly. From there, no more words were spoken between the two and they quickly went off to bed. Kagome was confused, hurt, and worried. Had she done something wrong? Why was Kikyo acting like this? It took every ounce of strength she had to not cry as she fell asleep that night. Instead, she filled herself with determination, ready to find the cause of this sudden change in attitude from her friend/sister figure.

So, when Kikyō woke up that morning and left to go pick medicinal herbs and flowers, Kagome followed her in secret. She made sure to keep a good distance between them so Kikyō wouldn't discover her, making sure to dampen her reiki on top of taking a masking potion she had made a couple days previously for a slayer. She had made an extra, just in case, and she was glad she had done so.

Once they reached the field, Kagome decided to hang back within the trees in order to reduce her risk of being spotted. She poked her head around the trunk, palms pressed flat against the rough bark. She watched Kikyō for a while, and just as she was about to give up and head back to the village – a flash of red.

_Inuyasha..._

She watched as the hanyou ran over to her, and even from the distance between them, she could see the huge grin on his face. She felt a twinge of pain in her chest. She watched as Kikyō rose from her spot on the ground, dusting off her hakama. Their mouths began to move, but Kagome couldn't make out what they were saying, too far away to hear anything. However, Kagome had always been good at reading a situation and a person's body language.

Kikyō appeared to be upset, and she was showing it, unreserved. It was... _odd_. In all her years of knowing and being with the miko, Kagome had _never_ seen her lay her heart out, bare and unhidden. She was always so reserved and Kagome had gotten used to the subtle changes. But seeing her lash out, physically and, she assumed verbally, was definitely odd.

Inuyasha flinched, ears pressed flat against his head. They argued for several moments, and soon Kikyō was turning to leave. Inuyasha reached for her, desperate.

"Kikyō!"

It was the one sound she could hear from them and it ripped her heart in two. His voice was desperate, pleading, _broken._ Her heart only broke more as she watched the hanyou pull Kikyō close and bury his nose in her hair, in the crook of her neck, his arms wrapped around her tight.

Her fingers moved to clench into fists, but her fingers scraped against the bark, one fingertip slicing open in the process. Tears welled in her eyes, but she couldn't look away, her heart still holding onto some _shred_ of hope that maybe, just maybe, she was misreading the situation. But when Kikyō hugged him back, and when they eventually broke to gaze into each other's eyes, hands placed on cheeks, she had to rip herself away.

It was intimate, it was _private._

It hurt her _so __**much..**_

She ran as quickly as she could back to the village and promptly buried herself in work. She worked herself to the bone that day, doing anything and everything to try and take her mind off of what she had witnessed and stomp down the emotional storm that was brewing inside of her. That night, the atmosphere in the hut was tense, and while she tried to keep her emotions in check, it wasn't long before she broke down.

It was a long, _long_ night and she and Kikyō had a long, _long_ conversation, most of which Kagome didn't fully remember, or really _want_ to remember. But she remembered coming out of the conversation with a better understanding of the situation and with a heavier heart.

Kagome let out a sigh, rolled her shoulders, and then went back to work grinding up the mixture. She needed to focus back on her tasks. Thinking about the past wasn't going to help, and it certainly wouldn't make things easier for her.

Before too long, she finished making the medicine and was gathering what she would need for Inuyasha's healing ointment. She frowned as she looked around, not seeing everything she needed for it. Well... she'd have to go out and pick up more ingredients then... He could wait, his injury wasn't but so bad; he really just needed it to prevent getting an infection, his body could heal by itself.

With that, she gathered her things; strapping a quiver and her bow on her back, grabbing a basket and the medicine for the child. At the very least she could complete the rest of her tasks along the way to the fields. So that's what she did.

Kagome left the hut and made her way to the hut belonging to the mother and sick child. She gave them the medicine, said a small prayer and told them to contact her later if needed. She then carried on her way to the expecting mother. She sat with her for a while, prayed for her and her family, made her some tea to calm her nerves, then left for the shrine. There, she gave a quick, generalized prayer, asking the gods to look over the village and its inhabitants, including Inuyasha. Then, she made her way to the fields.

She wasn't sure why Inuyasha had asked _her _to make the ointment for him and not Kikyō. Maybe it was because she had just stopped talking to him after the... _incident._ She wasn't sure if Kikyō had told him about it or not. Maybe this was his way to try and get her to talk to him again, be friends at the very least. Maybe this was a way for him to apologize in some weird way. She wasn't sure, but she supposed she would find out, wouldn't she?

She shifted the basket on her arm and adjusted the bow and quiver strapped to her back. She would think about these things later, she had to focus on collecting herbs. With a huff, she soon broke through the trees and took pause to look out over the open fields. A gentle breeze blew past her and she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Out here, it was easy to forget one's troubles; it was so calm and relaxing...

A soft smile graced her features and she opened her eyes and began to walk out, inspecting the ground as she walked. Of course, she knew _exactly _where the herbs she needed were, but it never hurt to look and see if there was anything new around, or if they had decided to plant roots somewhat closer to the edge of the forest. However, as far as she could tell, everything remained the same.

It wasn't long before she was plopping down on the ground and began to pick what she needed. She took her time with it, however, deciding to take some time to relax and stock up on other things they were starting to run low on. She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting out there, taking her time picking, but she had been about halfway done when she felt something coming.

Her movements stilled as she tried to focus on the approaching aura, however it was moving fast and hard to detect and pinpoint. Then, she heard a break in the trees along with a high pitched squealing sound. Her head whipped around and her eyes widened, lips parting open as a silent gasp escaped her. A boar was flying through the air, covered in claw marks and bleeding. The aura drew closer, and Kagome was finally able to pinpoint it.

_Youkai._

Sure enough, moving in a blur was a youkai, gaining quickly on the boar. Suddenly, they shot up into the air, and as the youkai stilled, almost like they were in slow motion, she was able to get a decent look at them. Tan skin, long dark hair, fur and armor. She watched as the youkai's lips drew up into a smirk and, with unimaginable speed, brought his leg up and kicked the boar, sending it flying into the ground below. The boar met the ground with a loud thud and Kagome's breath caught in her throat as she watched a small crater form around the body.

The youkai landed near his kill, and Kagome watched as he approached it. Just as he was at its side, she watched him still. Kagome slowly and gently set her basket on the ground, never taking her eyes off the youkai as she then reached for her bow and an arrow. As soon as they were in hand, the youkai looked up at her and that's when she drew them. She was quickly on her feet, arrow knocked and drawn and aimed at the youkai. He smirked up at her.

"Well well, didn't expect to see a miko out here." His voice was deep and had a slight rumble to it. He looked amused, and Kagome felt a little ticked off by it.

"I could say the same to you, youkai."

He chuckled a bit and she watched as he ignored the boar he just killed in favor of approaching her. She drew her bow tighter, a warning. His smirk doubled in size.

"You think you can hit me with that?"

"You willing to take that chance?"

He laughed heartily at that, his tail giving a low, slow wag as he did so. His tail was brown, unlike his hair, which was pitch black. As she took this chance to look him over, she realized he was, most likely, a wolf youkai. Odd that he was traveling alone... or maybe his pack was lying in wait? Her eyebrows furrowed together as her eyes narrowed.

"Where's the rest of your pack?" His laughter faded and he looked at her curiously, simply raising an eyebrow. Kagome let out a huff. "I assume you're a wolf youkai, correct? Where's the rest of your pack? That's how you hunt, right?" The amused grin was back on his face.

"That's correct, we do. And they're not here right now, but they'll be on their way shortly. They were just too slow." His chest puffed slightly, and she could tell that he seemed to be proud of himself and his speed. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

The wolf continued to approach her then, and Kagome did her best to feel him out, not taking her eyes off of him. She couldn't sense any ill intent... so maybe she would be able to lower her guard. She began to loosen up, lowering her bow slightly and releasing the tension she held against the string. Just as she was about to fully lower it, she felt a familiar aura approaching, and fast. Her muscles tensed and there was a sharp, twisting pain in her chest as she felt him coming.

"Kagome!"

In the blink of an eye, Inuyasha was suddenly standing in front of her protectively, and effectively blocking her view of the wolf youkai. She heard Inuyasha snarl and, peaking over his shoulder, she could see the wolf's nose wrinkle in disgust.

"You get away from her, you mangy wolf!"

"And what's it to you, _mutt?_" the youkai snarled.

Inuyasha bristled and Kagome could feel his youki flare. "Who are you calling a mutt, flea-bag?"

Both of their youki were flaring now, whipping against each other, and occasionally Inuyasha's would spark against her reiki. She winced slightly and tried to come up with a plan to prevent them from fighting.

"I don't know who you think you are, _mutt-face,_ but I could end you in two seconds."

"I'd like to see you try!"

Inuyasha readied his claws, and just as he was about to move in and attack, Kagome grabbed his arm. "Inuyasha, stop."

The hanyou stilled, eyes widening slightly, then he slowly turned to look back at her. It was the first time she had spoken to him since the incident; she hadn't even said anything when he had asked her to make him the ointment. However, his surprise only lasted for so long. He recovered quickly and glared down at her.

"Let go of me Kagome, I have to teach this guy a lesson."

"What for? He's not done anything. Don't go getting yourself into unnecessary fights!" she snapped.

"He's invaded my territory!"

The wolf let out a loud laugh at that. "_Your_ territory? Listen up, mutt, this entire area belongs to the Yōrō clan. Who are you to lay claim to _any_ sort of land, especially since it's already _been_ claimed?"

Inuyasha's hand twitched again, and he tried to pull his arm out of Kagome's grasp. It became a bit of a struggle, which the hanyou could've easily won if he was willing to hurt the miko. But he wasn't, so it continued. Kagome, however, _was_ willing to hurt him. When she felt he might escape her grip, she didn't hesitate to use a small bit of her reiki. It caused him to cry out in pain, and while it hurt her, she knew she had to do it.

The wolf watched the struggle with slight amusement. It reminded him of the cubs back at the den. He was content to continue watching their struggle when he felt two familiar auras coming towards them. He resisted the urge to let out a sigh, and opted to, instead, continue to watch the miko and hanyou until his companions arrived.

Kagome could feel two new presences approaching and immediately became cautious. Her grip on Inuyasha tightened and she scanned their surroundings.

A break in the trees.

Two figures were running towards them now, and they seemed exhausted. "Kouga!" Her eyes snapped to the wolf in front of them and she watched as he let out a small huff. When the two other wolf youkai came up to him, they crumpled over themselves, placing their hands on their knees and tried to catch their breath.

"Jeeze Kouga, can't you slow down?" That came from the youkai with the mohawk.

"I don't see what the point in that would be." He looked at Kagome with a smirk, but she kept her face neutral. What was this youkai playing at? "Well, I guess this is my cue to leave then." His two companions looked up then, examining both her and Inuyasha.

"Hey! You're not leaving yet, not until I'm done with you!" Inuyasha snarled. His struggles resumed then and Kagome grit her teeth. He wasn't playing around this time...

The youkai simply turned on his heel and walked over to the boar he had killed. He picked it up with ease, slinging it over his shoulder. He turned back around to look at them, or more specifically look at _her._ Their eyes locked and Kagome wasn't sure what feelings were coursing through her under his gaze. His eyes were an intense shade of blue, and she had to admit they were rather captivating.

"I hope to see you again, miko."

She simply blinked, her grip loosening on the hanyou next to her as her full attention was put on the wolf in front of her. Inuyasha took advantage of her lapse in concentration and broke free. However, just as he had started to charge at the wolf, he was gone. His companions groaned and chased after him.

Kagome blinked again, her mind trying to process everything that just happened. _What... was all that?_

As she tried to wrap her head around the situation, Inuyasha turned towards her, a growl rumbling through his chest. "What the hell Kagome? Why did you stop me from kicking that guy's ass?"

It took Kagome a couple moments to recollect herself, and once she did she turned to the hanyou with a glare. "Because, you can't always be so reckless Inuyasha! You're still injured! And there was no reason for you to fight him in the first place!"

"He _invaded my territory!"_

Kagome simply rolled her eyes. She turned around, ready to ignore him and carry on with collecting the herbs she needed. Inuyasha bristled, anger coursing through him.

"Hey, don't _ignore me!_ Kagome!" He stomped over to her, but she was determined to pay him no mind. Inuyasha did _not_ like that. "Why did you let your guard down anyway, huh? What if he had hurt you?"

She picked the herbs faster, and more furiously. She practically ripped the roots up with one of the plants. Inuyasha bared his fangs and sucked in a breath. He grabbed her by the shoulder, roughly turning her around and forcing her to look at him. He tried to not dig his claws into her skin, but it was difficult.

"_Hey!"_

"What if he had attacked you? What if he was tricking you? What would you have done if I wasn't here to protect you?"

Kagome's jaw set. "Well he didn't, now did he?"

She smacked his hand away and off her shoulder. She picked up her basket and stood up, dusting off her hakama and pushed past him. She wasn't going to have this conversation with him right now, no way in hell.

"Hey! You can't ignore me!"

_Watch me._ She adjusted her quiver and bow, getting them all settled as she walked away from the hanyou.

He snarled in response. "We're friends, aren't we?"

She stopped dead in her tracks. _Friends..._ Right.. she supposed that's all they were. Tears stung the back of her eyes and she bit the inside of her cheek.

It wasn't fair...

It wasn't fair how they could argue like this, like they were a couple and only ever be friends. It wasn't fair how concerned he was about her, but she knew deep down that his concern only went so far... She slowly turned to look back at him, over her shoulder. Her heart clenched in her chest. It wasn't fair how his golden eyes held such sadness and hurt directed at her.

"Yes.. I suppose we are.." She wasn't sure how she managed it every time, but she kept her face and voice neutral, determined not to give herself away. She knew she could never hide her scent from him, but he wasn't intuitive enough to put the pieces together. She had learned that the hard way, and it was a lesson she was continuously forced to learn, to have drilled and beaten into her.

Inuyasha was confused by her change in scent. She had been so angry, and now there was sadness. Where did it come from? Why did she always feel sad whenever he mentioned being friends? They were friends, weren't they? Did she not want to be, or was something else going on?

He reached a clawed hand out for her. "Kagome..."

She turned back around. "I need to make the ointment you asked for. Excuse me."

And with that, she walked away.


	2. Chapter 2

What up?

* * *

Kagome wasn't sure why she was still here. She had just been planning to go down to the river to bathe when she happened upon them. Inuyasha and Kikyō were sitting underneath a large tree, cuddled up against each other, holding hands and whispering to each other. Her heart _ached_, and she knew she was intruding on an intimate, _private_ moment, but for some reason she hadn't been able to turn away.

It had been Kikyō's giggle that had initially caught her attention, and from that one sideways glance, she had been trapped, stuck, hurt, _yearning._ She watched as Inuyasha pressed a kiss to the top of Kikyō's head, the action causing her heart to constrict quite painfully; like a knife was being twisted deep into her chest.

She pressed her change of clothes close to her chest and finally managed to tear her eyes away and continue on her way to the river. Tears pricked the back of her eyes, but she did her best to will them away. She wasn't sure why she always felt so hurt when she saw them together. She _knew_ that there was no chance, and she _was_ happy to be friends, but it seemed that her heart was just _determined_ to betray her.

The tears spilled down her cheeks then and Kagome muttered a curse under her breath. She sniffled as she furiously wiped them away. _Get a __**grip**__ Kagome... there's no point in getting upset over this._ Despite her sound logic, it still hurt. She _hated_ that it hurt this much. It just wasn't fair.

Kagome grumbled as she broke through the trees and walked to the riverbank. She took in a slow, deep breath, held it, then slowly released it. She was going to take a nice, _relaxing_ bath, no matter what.

She set her things down on a nearby rock and started to undress. She set her dirty clothes on the ground in front of the rock and then turned toward the river. She untied her hair as she watched the water flow, letting it calm her. She set her hair ribbon down on her clean set of clothes and then walked towards the river. She dipped her toes in and couldn't help but shudder slightly at the cold. She sucked in a breath and continued to walk in.

Even though the water was absolutely _frigid_, it was fairly refreshing; it certainly woke her up and helped to clear her mind. Once fully submerged, she let out a contented sigh. She relaxed for a small moment before dipping under the water and soaking her hair and face. She went about getting herself all cleaned up, and once she was done, she got out of the river and dried off. She then went about getting dressed, and as she was tying the strings on her hakama, she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Miko."

She squeaked, turning around and finding the wolf youkai from several days ago step towards her. When had he gotten here? She hadn't felt his presence at all...

"Wolf."

An impossibly large grin worked its way onto his face. "What are you doing out here?" he asked.

"I could ask you the same thing." she replied, adjusting her haori.

"No guard dog today?"

She froze at that, biting her lower lip as her heart constricted, remembering how tenderly the hanyou had been holding Kikyō.

"No... not today." she muttered, turning away from him to pick up her dirty clothes.

His brows furrowed at the change in her scent. Had he touched on a sore subject? He had figured the two were close, based on how the mutt had been so protective of her. Had he gotten it wrong? He shook his head, clearing his mind of the thoughts. A smirk curled his lips.

"Well good, that means we won't get interrupted then."

Kagome whipped back around, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "And what does _that_ mean?"

Kouga took a couple steps forward and Kagome ground her teeth, cursing the fact that she hadn't thought to bring her bow and quiver. _Stupid..._

His tail swished behind him. "You interest me, miko."

"How so?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out..."

For every step he took forward, Kagome took two backwards. That is, until her back hit the rock. _Shit..._ Soon, Kouga was standing right in front of her, his grin never faltering. Kagome was practically plastered against the rock at this point. Kouga leaned in and Kagome readied some reiki in her palm, just in case he decided to try something.

He continued to lean in closer, and Kagome did her best to keep at least _some_ space between them, but the damned wolf was _persistent_. She was likely to get a crick in her neck at this point... Just as she was about to snap at him – potentially zap him with a bit of reiki as well – she heard him take a couple sniffs. She couldn't help but freeze. _What the hell?_

Kouga then pulled away, a huge, almost triumphant, grin on his face. Kagome's brows furrowed in confusion. The look on her face almost made him laugh, but she was rather cute like that...

"I'm gonna make you my woman."

She blinked. Had she heard him right? "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You're mine now, and wolves mate for life."

He somehow snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her close. Kagome blamed it on her being too shocked to fully register the action at first. Once she did, however, she was struggling to get out of his hold.

"Get your hands _off_ me! I'm not just some kind of _object!_"

It was then that she was able to break free, and the last word out of her mouth was further accentuated with the sharp slap across the face she gave him. And boy, did the slap have a bit of a bite to it, seeing as she had unconsciously slapped the wolf with the hand she had gathered reiki in. Truth be told, she hadn't _meant_ to slap him, much less with her reiki charged hand. But there was no taking it back now...

"I'm a _person_, not some.. some... _item_ you can stake a claim on! I have thoughts and feelings of my own!" she snapped.

Kouga stood there for a moment, eyes wide and cheek stained red with the miko's handprint. Kagome swallowed past the lump in her throat. Gods... why was she so _stupid?!_ Today just really wasn't working out in her favor...

Before the miko could spiral into a mild panic attack, Kouga's head turned to look at her, a grin slowly curling his lips.

"Well, you certainly are fiery..." He leaned in slightly, but was sure not to get _too_ close this time. "I'm definitely going to make you mine one day, Kagome. Mark my words."

_He's crazy, he has to be, there's no other explanation._ She couldn't even really speak at this point, only give him an incredulous look. Though what _really _got her was the fact he had remembered her name. She was fairly certain he had only heard it once.. _She_ had heard _his_ name several times, thanks to his two pack members he had been with, but if she remembered correctly, Inuyasha had only said her name once.. no, twice actually.. but still. It was one thing for her to remember his name; not many things happened around the village, so she did her best to try to remember as much as she could.

But what about him?

What was _his_ reasoning? Was it possible he was interested in her from the start? She looked him in the eye, trying to find any sign that this was all fake, a joke in some way. A flash of his fangs quickly drew her attention away, however.

She blushed furiously, realizing she had been staring for _far_ too long and, incidentally, playing into whatever fantasy he had going on in his head. She scoffed in a very Inuyasha-like fashion and turned her back on the youkai to finish gathering her things.

"Whatever, it's not going to happen. Even if I wanted to 'be your woman' – which I don't!" She was quick to turn around and glare at him at that, to which he simply smirked at her. "I have a duty, and it requires my full attention." She frowned as she picked up her now folded clothes, holding them close to her chest. "I'm not allowed romance, especially not now..."

Kouga's smirk fell as he noted the change in her scent: despair, jealousy, _longing..._ "Does this have something to do with old _mutt-face?"_

She turned to shoot him a glare, but there was no heat, no fire to it, just despair. "His name is Inuyasha, and it's none of your business."

She pushed her way past the youkai then and started to head back to the village. Much to her annoyance, he started to follow her. Kouga easily fell into step beside her, but he was quiet, which surprised her. They walked through the forest in silence, and she'd be lying if she said her annoyance hadn't faded. Though, she did have to wonder...

"Why are you following me?"

"I told ya, didn't I? You're my woman." he replied with a cocky grin.

She was tempted to slap him again. Kouga chuckled at the murderous look she gave him. He was going to have fun chasing her, she had a lot of spirit, especially for a human.

"And _I_ told _you_ I can't, even if I wanted to."

"Why not?"

Kagome groaned. Why was she indulging him? "I've been tasked with the duty to protect... _something_." She couldn't very well tell him _what_ she was guarding; he might want to steal it if he found out... "And there has to be at least one person guarding it, and with the way things are looking... it's going to be up to me." She couldn't keep the dejected tone from her voice.

Kouga frowned. Her scent was churning with despair and envy, so much so that his beast was stirring, urging him to track down who hurt her like this and _end them._ He did his best to calm himself, however his beast was _not_ having it. He took a couple quick strides before stopping in front of her. An annoyed look quickly worked its way onto her face. He simply smiled and took her free hand into both of his, clasping them together in a firm hold. She couldn't stop the blush that stained her cheeks. His hands were so large and warm...

"Then run away with me, before things change and it's too late."

Her mouth hung open in shock. Anything she might've said died on her tongue. _Wha... what? Is he serious?_ She simply blinked up at him, her mind blank. What was she supposed to do in this situation? His eyes were alluring, and his aura was most certainly captivating... however...

She opened her mouth to speak, to try and turn him down gently, but his head suddenly turned away. He was looking into the distance, and she realized he must've heard something she couldn't.

After a beat, he turned back to her, flashing her a wolfish grin. "Think about it."

He brought her hand up to his lips, removing one of his hands to press a kiss to her knuckles. Her breath caught in the back of her throat and before her brain could fully register what just happened, he turned on his heel and was running off at an impossible speed.

Kagome blinked. _What... just happened?_ It took a moment for her brain to process, but once it did, she was a flustered _mess. _She dropped down to the ground, her free hand covering her mouth as her face _burned_. Had she just... been _proposed _to?

The miko wasn't super well versed in youkai customs, especially those of the wolves. But if she had to hazard a guess, having a wolf call you his woman and offer to whisk you away was their version of a marriage proposal. _Gods,_ what had she gotten herself into?

She eventually managed to pick herself up off the ground and made her way back to the village, her mind _racing_. She walked into the hut she shared with Kikyō and set her things down. She needed to wash her clothes, but her mind was still occupied by Kouga. That youkai was going to be the death of her, and she barely even knew him!

Kagome let out a huff then, the shock finally wearing off and turning into frustration. She continued to grumble under her breath until she heard someone clear their throat. She turned around and saw Kikyō standing there, next to her futon. How long had she been there?

Kagome blushed. "H-Hi Kikyō. How long have you been there?"

"Before you came in. Something rather big must be on your mind for you to be so unobservant."

Her blush darkened. "Yeah..."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Kagome chewed on her cheek. She would love nothing more than to confide in someone right now, but could she really talk to _Kikyō _about it? She already had a feeling of what her fellow miko would say. She'd tell her that she has a duty to uphold, and that her duty came before anything else. And then Kagome would have to swallow her anger at the hypocrisy of her words.

In fact, just thinking about it made her angry. Kagome let out a sigh and shook her head. "No, I'll figure it out. Thank you, though." She gave Kikyō a weak smile, to which she received a slight nod in response.

Kagome took in a deep breath then, trying to calm herself, before slowly releasing it. She returned Kikyō's nod with one of her own before exiting the hut. She needed to find something to do to distract her from both Kouga and Kikyō. She needed work to do.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys! It's been a while! Hopefully the length makes up for the absence, lol! Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Kagome looked down at the boar carcass in front of her hut and had to wonder, once again, how she had gotten herself into this. She wanted to deny it, say that Inuyasha had left it for Kikyō, but the miko had left the hut way earlier that morning, and Inuyasha had _never_ brought her things like this. She _knew_ it had to be Kouga. She knew that if she took it, that she'd then be accepting his courtship; she may not know much about their customs, but she knew what Inuyasha did for Kikyō, so she could infer. What she _didn't_ know was how to handle this predicament she was in.

She wanted to accept it, strictly because it would really help the villagers. She chewed on her lower lip as she considered her options. She was tempted to pulse out her reiki, see if the wolf was nearby, watching. She was certain that he was, but she wasn't sure if she _actually_ wanted to know or not. So, she continued to stand there, looking at the boar corpse and trying to piece together a plan of action.

She wasn't sure how long she had been standing there, contemplating, but she was soon pulled out of her thoughts by a familiar voice.

"What the hell is that?"

Kagome looked up and there was Inuyasha, standing on the other side of the boar, arms crossed over his chest, eyebrows furrowed. Kagome looked back down at the carcass.

"It's umm... a gift, I think."

"From that mangy wolf?"

Her head snapped back up to look at him. "How did you–?"

"I can smell him all over it. It's disgusting... You're not going to accept it, are ya?"

Her cheeks stained pink. "Of course not!"

"Then why are ya just standing here, looking at it like ya might?"

She bristled. Why did he sound so angry about it? It wasn't any of his business. Kagome did her best to shove her growing anger down. "I just... I'd hate for it to go to waste. I mean, the village could really get some use out of it... but if I accept it then I'm accepting his courtship, right?"

Inuyasha nodded.

"Yeah.. so... you see? I'm just... _conflicted.._ And I'm sure he's around here somewhere, waiting to see if I take it and I just.. don't want to give the wrong impression so–"

"Why does it matter so much to you? He's just some random wolf, he doesn't _matter_, Kagome."

Her eyebrows furrowed together in a mix of anger and confusion. Why was Inuyasha all worked up like this? "I don't like to hurt people unnecessarily, Inuyasha. I thought you knew that."

He looked away from her, directing his gaze to the ground in shame. Good. There was a beat of awkward silence between the two of them before he lifted his head up.

"Alright.. Just walk away and do whatever it is you were planning on doing today and I'll take care of it." He then started to move to pick the boar up.

Kagome started to panic. "W-Wait! What if he's _not_ standing around somewhere watching? What if he just left it and then comes back and sees that it's gone? What if he thinks I accepted it?"

Inuyasha sighed. "Trust me, he's around here somewhere. Just get going." he grumbled.

She bit her lip, still unsure, but she would have to trust Inuyasha's judgment for now. With a bit of a sigh, she finally left her hut and made her way into the village. She glanced back and watched for a moment as Inuyasha effortlessly picked the boar up and carried it on his shoulder. She quickly turned her attention back to the path in front of her. What was she going to do?

–––

Kouga had been watching the exchange from a distance. He was too far to hear anything, or really pick up any scents, but he could see them fairly well. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed in her not accepting his gift, but he knew she was going to be a hard one to crack from the beginning. But she was going to be worth the chase, he could feel it.

She was strong, both in body and mind; her scent reflected that. Gods her _scent..._ Just thinking about it left him _yearning_.

When he had first met her, there had been _something_ that drew him towards her. He couldn't place it at the time, but with their second meeting at the river, he had figured out what it was. Her scent just drew him in like no other. It was strong, powerful, and a good match to his own. He had heard of how others found their mates; how they just knew instantly after getting more acquainted with their scent. He hadn't been too sure at first, but now he knew the validity behind it.

Of course, it was more than her scent that drew him in, though it still was a large factor. Her passion and ferocity only solidified his silent claim on her. And now, despite the turning down of his gift and watching the hanyou drag it off somewhere, it simply added fuel to the fire. His beast was _burning_ to prove itself to her. He craved her approval more than anything at this moment in time, and he knew he couldn't allow himself to rest until he gained it.

He was going to have to play the long game, and he was prepared to do as such. He was a pursuit predator after all, and didn't intend on giving up this particular hunt. He was going to see it through to the end, right when his fangs sank into her neck, marking her as his. Until then, he'll need to learn more about her. He needed to figure out what would work best to woo her. All he had to do was wait until she was alone, then he could go talk to her with no distractions.

And as much as he loathed to admit it, he would have to learn more about that meddling _mutt_ as well... He didn't understand the relationship between him and Kagome. The hanyou was protective of her, but whenever she saw or talked about him, there was sadness in her eyes and voice. It was hard to miss. Clearly the mutt didn't have a claim on her, he could smell that much, so what was their deal? It was something he would need to learn moving forward, so he could know how to handle the mutt and their odd relationship. And if he was bothering his woman... Kouga's hand flexed, his claws extending ever so slightly as he stalked through the trees.

He'd have to take care of that mutt, Inuyasha...

–––

A large fire crackled and burned in the center of the village, casting embers up into the air. Everyone was celebrating the boar that Inuyasha had brought them and roasting it. Of course, some of it had been taken off previously and set aside to be dried and preserved. But what was left was being roasted and served on top of steaming bowls of white rice.

Kagome sat in front of the fire, holding a bowl of food in front of her. She hadn't wanted to take one of the first bowls of food, but the villagers had insisted. It was in thanks to everything she's done for them over the years, and she couldn't deny that it warmed her heart. But still...

She took a small bite of her food and watched Inuyasha and Kikyō on the other side of the fire. It didn't sit well with her that he was taking all the credit.. but at the same time, she wasn't sure how everyone would have reacted to the truth.. That a wolf youkai had actually gotten it, and it was _supposed_ to be a courtship gift for Kagome, one of the town's only mikos, but she had _denied a youkai's offer_ and had Inuyasha give it to them instead.

She didn't see that going over too well... so she figured it was best Inuyasha took the credit.. but still... She let out a soft sigh and took another bite of food. No sense in dwelling on it. And she couldn't deny that it was nice to see everyone so happy and celebrating. They hadn't had a chance for a feast like this in a while. Some of the crops hadn't been doing so great as of late, and no one was sure why. Kagome prayed that the hardships would end soon; she couldn't stand to see anyone suffering...

But Kagome didn't want to linger on such sad thoughts.. this was a celebration after all, she ought to enjoy it. And so she did her best to do so. She ate her food and chatted with the townspeople, catching up on their lives and a couple of them asking her for favors, to which she assured she would get done tomorrow.

The sky grew darker and the flames burned hotter and brighter. Kagome got up to get another small helping of rice, laughing at a joke that had been told, when her eyes involuntarily shifted to the side. She caught sight of Inuyasha and Kikyō, standing close to one another and chatting idly. Their hands were clasped together, mostly hidden between the two of them, and the looks they were giving each other made her smile falter and her laughter die on her lips.

She quickly averted her eyes and looked towards the house she shared with Kikyō. Her appetite now gone, she figured it might be best to turn in for the night. After all, she had been given plenty of tasks to do tomorrow, so getting some rest would do her well...

Or maybe she could start on those tasks early... She wasn't exactly tired yet.. what harm would it do? She took one last glance back at the festivities, doing her best to avoid looking at the hanyou and her fellow miko, and then fully turned and started to walk away. She would just need to make a quick stop at her home to put her bowl away and then she could go collect some ingredients she would need. So, she did just that. She entered the hut and set her bowl among her things and grabbed her basket. She took note of things she would need to gather before exiting. There were some things that only bloomed at night, so this actually proved to be the perfect opportunity. At least, that's what Kagome kept telling herself as she snuck out of the village and into the forest, heading towards the fields.

Kagome took her time walking through the forest, her hands brushing along the bark of the tree trunks and grazing the occasional soft covering of moss. She collected some of the moss, but made sure to only take small portions. She didn't want to disturb nature too much, after all. She only ever took what was needed; a good policy to have.

She gathered a couple mushrooms as well. Some were quite intriguing, glowing in the moonlight like they were. She found them interesting, and while she wasn't sure if they were safe or not, they were pretty at the very least. So, she picked a couple but made sure to keep them separate from everything else she had collected, just in case. She continued to make her way through the forest until she reached a field.

She let out a soft sigh as she stepped out into the field. Scattered throughout were flowers that glowed in the moonlight. Kagome had never really come out at night, Kikyō usually did that with Inuyasha at her side... Just one more thing Kagome had been robbed of...

Kagome shook her head, clearing the thought from her mind. She shouldn't think like that.. it wasn't fair to them. She ran a hand through her hair, lifting her bangs off her face and letting out a huff of breath. She came out here to clear her mind, to be at peace and collect things she would need for her tasks. She needed to focus.

She released her bangs and moved further out into the field before taking a seat. She began picking herbs and flowers, taking her time doing so. It was a simple task, but it always had a way of relaxing her.

She let out a soft sigh as a small smile worked its way onto her face. She looked at the glowing flowers, delicately touching the soft petals before reaching down and digging into the ground. She wanted to get the roots so she could grow one. There weren't any medicinal properties to these flowers, but they were pretty. It took her a moment, but she finally dug up the roots and pulled the flower out of the ground. She grinned to herself and set the flower aside.

She then went about continuing to pick the things she needed as the moon continued to rise in the sky. It was soon right above her, casting its light down and fully illuminating the field. Kagome took a moment to look up at the sky, enjoying the light of the nearly full moon and the stars twinkling around it.

As she took in the sight, a fog started to slowly roll in from the forest. The hair on the back of her neck pricked up and she turned to look at the fog. Something tightened in her chest and she found it a bit difficult to breathe. What was this feeling? Something didn't... feel right... But.. it was just fog...

Her eyebrows furrowed together and she moved to get up, ready to investigate. Before she could even fully get up, a rush of wind hit her and an arm was encircling her waist. She almost let out a shriek, but a warm, calloused hand covered her mouth before she could.

"_Shh!_ We need to get out of here, quickly and quietly."

_Kouga!_

Her initial feeling of terror faded, leaving her in a mild panic. Something was _definitely _wrong.. but _what?_

Kouga removed his hand from her mouth, and before she could blink, he was scooping her up in his arms. She gasped, and then in a second, he was taking off running. She held onto him tightly, pressing the side of her face into his cold chest plate. "K-Kouga! What's going on?"

"_Shhh!_"

Kagome pressed her lips together tightly. She'd have to stay quiet, she was certain he would explain everything to her later. So for now, she just held onto him tightly, trying to ignore the panic she felt.

Kouga held her close and did his best to make sure he didn't dig his claws into her skin. He had just been watching her, ready to approach her once she had relaxed when that fog rolled in. Something about it didn't sit right with him, made his hackles rise... His beast had just started screaming at him to grab her, take her far away. And before he knew it, he was taking off towards her and gathering her in his arms. He knew she was going to have questions for him.. He could see them brewing in her eyes... but he wasn't sure how he was going to answer them, or if he'd even be able to.

He cradled her protectively against his chest. He had no idea where he was running to, but he knew he couldn't stop until he felt like she wouldn't be in danger anymore. He just had to wait for his beast to settle and for this feeling in his gut to disappear.

He wasn't sure how long he ran, or exactly how far, but eventually, he felt more at ease. He slowly came to a halt, letting out a sigh of relief. Once he fully stopped he, a bit reluctantly, set Kagome down on her feet. He watched as she looked around, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion as she tried to figure out where they were. Even _he_ wasn't fully sure, and these woods were part of his territory; he had just been running in a blind panic.. or maybe rage... maybe a mix of both. He had just been so worried about her and her safety, and at the same time wanting to sink his fangs into whatever had threatened his woman's safety.

Kouga stepped a bit closer to her and she turned to look up at him. Her soft, warm brown eyes pulled him in with their curiosity. It melted his heart and he couldn't help but smile warmly at her, bringing a hand up to cup her face. Kagome blushed, embarrassed at their closeness. She grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand away from her face.

"Kouga.. what's going on?" she whispered.

He let out a sigh, eyebrows furrowing together. "I don't know. But something didn't feel right. Whatever was in that fog.. or maybe whatever caused it wanted to hurt you. I don't know why, but..." He looked at her, and she gulped at how intense his gaze was. It was like he was staring into her, and there was an emotion hidden in their depths that she couldn't quite place. Or maybe she could and she just didn't want to admit it... He took her hands in his, clasping them tight. "I couldn't let anything happen to you. You're my woman, Kagome, and I'm going to protect you with my life."

_Too much..._ Her breath caught in her throat. She felt like she was drowning in his bright blue eyes. He was so intense.. she didn't know how to handle it. She averted her gaze, not able to stand it any longer. She nervously licked her lips. She would try to back away from him again, but he was holding onto her so tightly... She wasn't about to try and test her strength against a full-blooded youkai.

"How did you know what was going on anyway? Were you watching me?" She wasn't sure if she really _wanted_ to know the answer, but she felt like she _needed_ to know.

"I was." Kagome's mouth fell open slightly at the honesty. He just straight up told her! "I was going to come up to you in a moment to talk with you, but then the fog rolled in and well..." He shrugged.

"Why?"

"I want to know more about you, Kagome. You didn't accept the boar, so I want to know what you _will _accept."

She blinked up at him. He was just.. so... _honest..._ It shocked her. Was that just him or were all wolves like that? She wasn't sure, and she didn't know if she really _wanted_ to know.

"I just..." She took in a deep breath and slowly released it. "Kouga I.. I don't know you. And I have things I need to do around here. I made a promise to guard something, something _important_, and I can't just _abandon_ that. This is going to be my main focus. It _has_ to be my main focus, or else there will be consequences."

His brows furrowed together. She could see the protest in his eyes and she prayed, _prayed_ that he would just accept what she was saying. It wasn't like she was lying, she was telling the truth! With Kikyō being distracted by Inuyasha, it was up to Kagome to protect the Sacred Jewel. There was no one else she could turn to.. she had accepted her fate long ago.

She sighed and pulled her hands away, and Kouga let her. "I've accepted this long ago... It wasn't originally up to me, but now it is. There's no one else who can do this now. It _has_ to be me." Kagome turned away from him then. She wasn't sure why she was even telling him this, but she just felt this urge to talk to him. She felt like she could trust him.. which was _ridiculous _since she didn't even know him! _Ugh.. this is all so confusing! What is so difficult about all of this?_

Kouga placed a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to look up at him. She wasn't sure she liked that look in his eyes...

He brought a hand up to cup her cheek, rubbing his thumb underneath her eye. She couldn't deny the fact that it was soothing. "Let me help you." He whispered softly. Her cheeks flushed as her mouth hung open in shock. _What?_ "I can help you guard whatever it is you're in charge of. You don't have to be alone in doing this, Kagome."

She blinked, unsure what to say. It took her a moment to find her voice, but Kouga was patient with her. He continued to stroke her cheekbone as she found her words. "But.. you... aren't you like.. in charge of an entire pack?"

He grinned. "That just means whatever you're protecting will be extra safe. Maybe you could take a day or two off."

Her head was spinning. This was honestly too much... She could barely process what he was telling her! An entire pack of wolf youkai? Protecting the _Sacred Jewel?_ Ha! Hard to believe... If he _knew_ what it was she was guarding, she was certain he'd be singing a different tune. He would want to take it and keep it for himself, or rather his pack. That way they would be the strongest wolves out there. She was _not_ about to let that happen.

"No... _No,_ you don't understand, Kouga. It has to be _me._ It has to be a miko... I..." She let out a small growl of frustration. Kouga couldn't help but think it was kind of cute. "You can't help me with this. And I don't want you to help me either. Just..." Her eyes drifted towards the forest floor and the unmistakable scent of her misery hit his nose. It sent his beast into a rage, and it took everything in him to keep calm, to listen to her.

"I have to do it, and I have to do it alone." She looked back up at him then, their eyes locking and Kouga felt his heart clench in his chest. The utter _sorrow_ in them... She brought her hand up to grasp the one holding onto her cheek. "Please understand. Even if I wanted to, which again, _I don't..._ I can't."

She pulled his hand off her cheek and then released his hand, letting hers fall to her side. She was resigned to her fate; had been for a long while, since she had become a miko. And this only grew with the development of Kikyō and Inuyasha. It was up to her and her alone.

Kagome took a step back from him, folding her arms in front of her chest and looking down at the ground. Kouga didn't like the scent she was giving off. He didn't like how resigned she was to this "fate" of hers. He wanted to change her mind, make her see reason and realize there were multiple solutions and options for her... but he knew it would take time.

She sighed, turning her back to him, but her head still lowered. _He hated how submissive she was being._ This wasn't who she was, he could tell by her natural scent and the power and ferocity she radiated and would occasionally showcase. What, or _who,_ had turned her into this?

"I wanna go home..." she whispered softly, barely audible. If he were a human instead of a youkai, he was sure he wouldn't have heard her.

"Alright.. I'll take ya home, Kagome."

Kouga moved closer to her, circling around to face her and held out his arms. She blushed slightly, but nodded, brushing the heel of her palm against her eye to deter any tears. It _would_ be faster for him to carry her after all... He scooped her up into his arms, plucking her from the ground like a delicate flower. He held her close to his chest and she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding tight. She knew how fast he could run, and she didn't want to fall off. Not like she was scared he would drop her... but it was instinct, and it was hard to fight your instincts.

Once she was settled, he took off. It didn't take him long to recognize his surroundings. Once he had his bearings, he easily made his way towards the village. He didn't run as fast as he usually did, wanting to be a little selfish and hold onto her for as long as he could. He knew she wouldn't be able to notice the difference in speed; it was still too fast for her, considering she was a human.

He took this time to analyze her scent, or at least smell what he could while weaving through the trees. He searched underneath the waves of remorse, trying to get to her natural scent. Once he found it, he did his best to take a subtle deep breath. Her scent already had a way of calming him... She smelled the way the air did in the spring; lush with flowers and herbs and _life,_ just after a light rain. It had always been a nice scent for him, a soothing one... And now he found it attached to this miko. A nice, calming scent along with the power she held within her. She practically _radiated_ holy energy, and while that should be terrifying for a youkai, it only drew him to her more. He could tell how strong she was, maybe not physically like him, but in her own way. And power was attractive to wolves; it was part of how they selected their mates, and the longer he spent with Kagome, the more his choice solidified.

It wasn't long before they broke through the trees and could see the village in the distance. Kouga was disappointed his time with Kagome would be coming to an end shortly, but there was always another day.

He slowed his pace to a brisk jog, not really needing to run anymore. Besides, he didn't want to attract the attention of the villagers and a certain _mutt._ He didn't want to get into another argument and lose precious time with his woman.

Kagome almost directed Kouga towards her home, but before she could open her mouth, she clamped it shut. He knew where she lived.. he had left that boar on her doorstep after all... _The boar..._

She licked her lips, working up the nerve to speak. "Kouga..." He shifted her in his arms slightly, and she took a moment to herself, collecting her words, before looking up at him. His eyes were already on her and she had to fight another blush. Why was his gaze always so _intense?_ "I... wanted to thank you for your gift this morning, even though I didn't accept it..." He raised an eyebrow at this. "Our village... it hasn't been doing so well. Our harvest has been poor and quite a few people are getting sick. Needless to say, it's been a while since everyone has had a good meal..." Her eyes flickered away from his for a moment before she met his gaze once more, this time with a soft smile on her lips. "Thank you. Because of your offer, everyone was able to relax and have a good night, not having to worry about their next meal."

He grinned down at her. "Then I'll do it again."

Her face paled slightly and her smile dropped. "N-no, really it's fine. You don't have to-"

"But I _want _to, Kagome. If it makes you happy, then I would gladly do it a thousand times over."

Her cheeks felt hot, no.. her entire _body _felt flushed. _W..what...?_ It took her a moment to realize that he has stopped, and that they were in front of her house now. How long had they been here? She somehow became even more flustered than she already was. She shifted a bit in his hold and Kouga chuckled, a deep rumble in his chest that reverberated through her body. He delicately set her down on her feet, his hand lingering on her upper arm for a moment before falling at his side. She took a moment to collect herself, calming down her frayed nerves.

She placed a hand on her chest, taking in a deep breath and then slowly releasing it. It was then that she remembered they had left her basket in the field. Her eyes snapped open and she turned to look at Kouga, who was just standing there with his arms crossed, looking at her. "My basket with the herbs and mushrooms... It's still out there in the field..."

"I'll go get it for you. Stay right here."

Before she could open her mouth to protest, he was off and running. Kagome let out a sigh and crossed her arms over her chest. She leaned back against the wall of her home and waited for the youkai to come back. He was so quick to help, and she still wasn't sure how to feel about it. She felt like she was using him, and she didn't like that feeling. She would have to find a way to really get it through his head that she wasn't interested. But she was also scared to unnecessarily hurt him, so she was in a bit of a pickle to say the least.

Kagome let out a huff and looked up at the sky, hands clutching her arms as she tried to find comfort in the stars. But they were just cold white lights, as they always were, and provided her no solace. Kagome directed her gaze to the ground then, holding herself just a bit tighter.

She wanted to leave. She _desperately _wanted to run from her responsibilities, find someone else to watch over the jewel so she could travel. She wanted to travel all across Japan, visit different villages, meet new people and provide help when and where she could. She hated being confined to Edo.. but there was nothing she could do. Unless another miko came along that was of the same standing as her and Kikyō, she would be stuck here until the end of her life. Only then would she be replaced..

Tears welled in her eyes and she bit her lip in frustration. She should be over this by now. How long had it been since she resigned herself to this? Half a year? Maybe a bit longer? She wasn't sure anymore... but regardless.. it was enough time for her to accept this.

But even _she_ had her limits she supposed...

Thankfully, Kagome wasn't left to dwell on her thoughts much longer as she felt Kouga's presence approaching her once more. She lifted her head up and searched for him, doing her best to clear her mind and hopefully hide the changes in her scent from him. She didn't want to deal with any more questions..

He soon came into her line of vision and then she blinked and he was right in front of her. She couldn't help but jump slightly. _Gods_ was he fast!

Kouga held her basket out to her and she smiled softly, taking it from him gently. "Thank you, Kouga."

"Anything for you, Kagome."

She did her best to bite back the blush that wanted to form. She wasn't used to this kind of attention...

"Well, I should get some rest. Thank you for all your help today Kouga."

He nodded, grinning down at her. "I'll be glad to help with anything else in the future. Anything at all."

He took a step closer to her, and Kagome tried to step back, but she had forgotten she had been leaning against the wall. _Shit..._ She looked up at him, eyes wide with suspicion, maybe a small hint of fear at what he might do.

He brought a hand up to cup her cheek, his thumb stroking tenderly for a moment before he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Kagome's body felt hot, and she blamed it on the heat radiating off the wolf and his close proximity to her. And in a flash, he was gone, leaving Kagome confused and shaking.


End file.
